Echoes of War Box Set, page 108
part #1 of Echoes of War Series
“Are you sure? That would let us verify that he participated in the second battle as well.”
“I… I’m pretty sure,” David replied. Am I losing it?
“If you don’t mind me asking, sir, what did he discuss with you?”
“He reminded me a good man isn’t alone, even when everything seems lost,” David said, a rueful smile gracing his lips. “I was at rock bottom. It was something I needed to hear, and I wanted to thank him.”
“Well, we’ll all get our chance to say those things we wanted to say but couldn’t one of these days,” Tinetariro responded, immediately causing David to think of the afterlife, or heaven, as both Christians and Jews thought of it.
“I hope so, Master Chief. Got a lot of things that were left unsaid to a lot of people I’d like the chance to get in one last goodbye with.”
“Me too, sir. Way too many,” Tinetariro replied, her face awash in emotion.
“But we soldier on, remember the fallen, and give the League all it can handle, and then some.”
“Quite right, sir.”
“Very well, Master Chief. I know you’ve got plenty to do; carry on.”
Tinetariro sprang to her feet and brought herself to attention smartly. “Aye aye, sir!” she intoned before turning on her heel and marching out of his office. David was left staring at the open hatch, pondering what happened to Private Waters. Maybe I’m losing it, he considered. Did I ever have it to begin with? Who’s to say exactly what happened in the last few months. Snorting to himself, he pulled up his tablet and began to go through the paperwork of the day.
45
Later that day during the mid-afternoon watch, David walked into the wardroom to find it empty except for Aibek, who was in the middle of eating a hamburger. Cracking a smile, he noted the burger was almost raw; seared on both sides and red in the middle. “I’m not sure you’re complying with CDF food safety regulations, Colonel Aibek.”
Aibek laughed. “We eat most of our meat raw. It’s easier to digest for us.”
David slid into a seat across from him after pouring a cup of piping hot CDF coffee. “There was a rumor going around that Saurians considered live rodents to be a delicacy when you first came on board.”
“Yes, I remember. I helped spread it around and kept a live mouse in my quarters to gross people out,” Aibek replied with a large, toothy grin. “It is so easy to mess with humans.”
David chuckled as he took a sip of his coffee. “I think we’re fascinated by things different from us. Sometimes we can be overwhelmed by them, but on balance, I believe we’re pretty open to new cultures and customs.”
“I’ve certainly found this ship to be accepting of me. I am grateful for it.”
“And I am grateful for the advice and support you’ve given. It’s an honor to serve with you,” David replied with sincerity.
“I still regret that I came to join your crew in the manner in which I did. I sense I would have greatly respected Major Thompson,” Aibek answered, his voice quiet and somber.
“I won’t lie, I still miss her,” David said, his voice suddenly solemn at the thought of his old friend. “But everything happens for a reason. Sometimes it’s hard to believe, but I hold on to it. There has to be a plan… I pray someday it makes sense.”
“Until then, we have to continue. Love one another, lay down our lives for our fellow soldiers and the civilians we protect. You humans sum up one of our core beliefs quite nicely with the phrase ‘do to others as you would have them do to you’.”
David offered a small smile. “Agreed, XO.”
“I was about to turn on the holoprojector when you came in. President Spencer is due to deliver an address to the Alliance.”
David reached over and hit the “on” button for the holoprojector; it snapped on, preset to the Canaan News Network. It appeared that the speech was about to begin, as the usual talking heads were replaced by a live feed from the Oval Office.
“Good timing,” Aibek commented wryly.
The projector shifted to show the entirety of the Oval Office, with Spencer sitting behind a simple yet regal wooden desk. David recognized it as something brought from Earth, hundreds of years prior. Called the Resolute Desk, it had enormous historical significance.
“Citizens of the Terran Coalition, our allies, and freedom-loving people of all species across this galaxy, I come to you tonight with good news,” Spencer began. “Our fleet has returned from Unity Station, intact and victorious. The flag of the Canaan Alliance flies over the instrument of the League’s invasion of our galactic arm. This victory, while mighty, is not without substantial loss and sacrifice. Nineteen thousand, eight hundred and twenty-nine brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our victory.
“This war has continued for nearly thirty years. When it started, I doubt anyone in the Terran Coalition thought we would still be fighting this far in. But our freedoms are worth fighting for, and now two generations of citizens have decided that it is preferable to die on our feet than live on our knees. Today, we took a major step forward in the defeat of the League. There will be many more battles to fight, we will suffer many thousands of causalities, and too many of our soldiers will perish so our way of life will not vanish from this galaxy. But make no mistake. This is the price we’ve paid for thirty years and will gladly pay for another thirty years if it’s what is required for us to live in freedom and peace.”
Spencer stared directly into the holoprojector camera that was present in his office. “To Chairman Pallis and the rest of the League’s Social and Public Safety Committee, I have the following statement. We’re ready to discuss your surrender at any time. We will push all the way to Earth and liberate it from your oppression. The League started this war to destroy our way of life; you thought we would collapse in the face of a massive and determined enemy. You were mistaken. Your actions only served to strengthen the bonds of the people who make up our nation. People who love freedom, regardless of how they choose to use it. We love our freedom and our way of life so much… we will do anything that is required to safeguard it. We will fight for it, we will bleed for it, we will sacrifice for it, we will pay any cost and defeat any foe to save our way of life. The League of Sol sowed the wind when it cowardly attacked Canaan twenty-eight years ago and now, Chairman Pallis, you will reap the whirlwind.
“To the citizens of the League of Sol, know we stand with you in your own quest for justice and freedom. The Terran Coalition comes not as a conqueror, but as a liberator. There is no better friend, and no worse enemy, than the Canaan Alliance, as those who have tried to take away our way of life have found throughout the ages. While Earth may be a paradise, albeit a paradise with a secret police force that hauls anyone suspected of remotely thinking the wrong thing in the dead of night, it is built off the backs of people on a hundred different planets, all forced to work for next to nothing to provide for the League. Enforced by the point of a bayonet, the League’s ideology would collapse in a moment, if but a different political party was allowed to run in the sham elections they hold every ten years.
“Today we mark a milestone in our struggle; the beginning of the end of the League of Sol. To our own citizens, who have sacrificed far more than any group of people ever have, for longer than any have, throughout our recorded history, I say this; stay the course. Practically everyone in our great civilization has served in some manner to support our war efforts. Nearly ninety-five percent of all citizens born after the war began who have reached the age of majority have served in our armed forces. All have given something of themselves. Too many have paid the ultimate price. These sacrifices haven’t been made in vain. There stands with us hope that victory will finally be achieved. I believe we stand on the right side of this fight, that we stand with our Creator, and the evil of the League will be vanquished into the dustbin of history. In the eighteen months I have left as your president, I pledge to every citizen of the Terran Coalition I will do everything remotely within my power to win this war, with a minimum of losses. Let there be no mistake, however, the causalities we will see as we commence the invasion of the League will be high. They may well be higher than any we have sustained so far. But again, this is the price we’re willing to pay as a society to ensure our way of life.”
Spencer paused for a moment before he continued. “In closing, I ask every citizen of the Terran Coalition to pray for the safety of our soldiers in harm’s way, far away. I ask you all to keep up the fight and keep hope on the home front. Together, we can accomplish anything we put our minds to. The Terran Coalition’s best days are not behind us; they lie before us as we help to bring in a new era of peace and prosperity after the defeat of the League. May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless the Terran Coalition!”
The projection of the oval office faded away, and the talking heads for Canaan News came into view. Aibek reached up and turned off the projector before they began speaking. “Your leader is inspiring enough to be an honorary Saurian.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment…I think,” David replied with a bit of a smirk.
“It is. President Spencer’s ability to stir the blood and the soul to combat is impressive. I look forward to the day when he is able to toast the defeat of our enemy.”
David’s face took on a thoughtful appearance, and his eyes drifted toward the floor. “I look forward to the day when we beat our swords into plowshares, and this war is finally over.”
“And the nations of the world will know war no more?”
David nodded. “Quite.”
“I have read many of the human holy books by now. The Bible, Torah, Quran, and others.”
“I worry the longer this war goes on, the more likely we are to be fundamentally changed by it,” David said.
“For the worse?”
David nodded. “Yes, absolutely for the worse. The ease at which we lie, deceive, and do anything it takes to win troubles me.”
“That business with the reporter?”
David looked Aibek directly in the eyes. “You were right; we should have found a way to win that didn’t involve lying. On top of it, add in Colonel Demood’s antics on the station… what scares me the most is just for a moment, I was ready to excuse what he did as a cost of doing business until I read he threatened to kill all those civilians. Shooting a Leaguer in the kneecaps after surrender barely fazed me.”
“But you didn’t… that is what counts, right?” Aibek countered.
“Perhaps. We have to constantly guard our hearts and ensure this hatred of all things League doesn’t take root and corrupt us. The battle rages not only externally, but within,” David replied in an earnest tone. “From my perspective, I think the battle within is the most important one of all.”
“Well said, Colonel,” Aibek responded, his face a mask of thoughtfulness.
“I worry… what if my actions with Angie gave Demood the green light in his mind to cross the line? What if I led him astray? It’s vital that I stay within not only the letter but the spirit of the law. Keep me on the straight and narrow, XO. Help me to avoid another bad call. That’s something Sheila always did.”
Aibek smiled, his teeth showing in a way that made some humans shiver. “Gladly. As I would expect you to correct me if I found myself on a path to dishonor.”
“There is a maxim in Judism.. whoever kills a soul, its as if he destroyed the entire universe. Likewise, if you save someone, it is as if you saved everyone,” David said, glancing down. “These questions… about right and wrong, they worry me.”
“On Sauria, it is generally accepted that as long as the battle is honorable, killing is acceptable to achieve victory.”
“I get that, XO. I respect it… but I’m not a Saurian. I’m a Jew, and I try to go through life, following a set of standards and laws. The laws I believe God wants me to obey…wants all of us to obey.”
Aibek’s face turned thoughtful. “You do a good job of it.”
“I’m not so sure of that anymore.”
Aibek reached out and put his scaled hand on David’s shoulder. “There is no dishonor in checking your motives and ensuring you remain noble in spirit and deed.”
“The last few days I’ve had to take stock of how far I’m willing to go. I don’t like what I saw. I could see a path where I end up at the same place at Demood, simply because I kept pushing the rules one more notch. We’re inherently fallible beings. That’s why the rules exist in the first place.”
“No one is good, in other words?”
“Exactly,” David said. “It's imperative we remember it.”
“As I said, I will do my best to keep you grounded, as I believe humans put it. But… we have achieved a great victory. I cannot help but believe God, in some way, smiled on us. Do we make different decisions as we go forward? Yes. But now is not the time to second guess this great victory. I believe you made the best decisions you could, even when at times I did not agree. I get to have that luxury; sometimes when as you say, it is for all the marbles, the person at the top has to make uncomfortable compromises. Regardless of this, I believe we will win with honor, and I am glad I can make a difference serving at your side.”
David smiled, allowing the large Saurian’s positive outlook to infect him. Who knows what’s next? Perhaps only God. He was resolute they could handle whatever came up, because the team that made up the officers and crew of the Lion of Judah was greater than the sum of its parts. Tomorrow will be another day, and I will face that day as I have every other day. He recalled the words of a psalm. “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Echoes of War: Book 4 – Gates of Hell: Turn the page for an exciting sneak peak at the next Echoes of War novel!
Echoes of War Book Four - Gates of Hell: Sneak Peak
This cockpit is barely larger than a shuttle. Ruth was strapped in and staring out the transparent alloy “window” toward the stars. They’d come out of Lawrence drive a few hours earlier and were moving at sub-light speed toward Freiderwelt.
“Ever rode an assault lander down before, LT?” MacDonald asked from his seat next to the pilot.
“Can’t say I have, Master Chief. I’ve taken shuttles more times than I can count, but never a combat insertion.”
MacDonald turned around in his seat and grinned widely. “There’s nothing else like it in the universe. Gets your blood moving.”
“I’ll try not to scream like a little girl,” Ruth replied. Maybe some self-deprecating humor will help avoid another round of cake eater insults.
“That’s the spirit!” MacDonald replied between laughs.
“Master Chief, we’re coming up on the planet,” the pilot interjected.
“Got it, Warrant,” MacDonald said. “Engage maximum stealth protocol.”
The lights dimmed in the cockpit, and Ruth heard the heating unit shut off. “Is it going to get too cold in here?” she asked.
“Not in the time it takes us to deorbit and deploy. Head on back to the cargo area and start suiting up,” MacDonald instructed.
“Got it, Master Chief,” Ruth replied as she popped her shoulder straps off and stood up, thankful that as small as the little ship was, it had artificial gravity. A few steps down a short passageway, she arrived in what could be called the cargo area and deployment bay. The rest of the commandos were present and had already started putting on their modified power armor.
“Hey, LT!” Meissner called out, still wearing his trademark wide grin. “Need some help putting your armor on?”
“Won’t turn it down, Meissner,” Ruth answered. She walked to one of the powered suits sitting on the deck; given its smaller size, she assumed it was hers. “How is this different from standard TCMC power armor?”
“Seventy percent lighter, just as effective, and tight integration into comms and ISR,” Meissner replied.
“ISR?” Ruth asked as she squatted down to pick up the torso piece of the suit and lift it over her head. She stopped, seeing a sticker that had a cartoon drawing of a three-layer cake on the front of the panel. “Seriously, guys?”
Most of the commandos, excepting Ahmad, laughed uproariously. Ruth’s face turned red, and she started trying to rip the sticker off, only succeeding in tearing it.
Rostami leaned over as he finished putting on his gloves. “LT, word of advice. Never show emotion at being hazed. It’s like blood in the water to the sharks, got it?”
Ruth nodded and continued her efforts to tear the offending paper off; she finally succeeded and threw the suit over her head, pulling it down and checking for fit. “You got my size,” she deadpanned, trying to move on.
“Next you’ll want to sit down and put the leg portion on, and then we’ll help you with the arms,” Meissner offered.
“Thank you,” Ruth replied and followed his instruction, scooting the leg portion of the armor on and sealing it into place with the torso piece. “I’ve worn space suits before that were akin to power armor. This stuff is a lot lighter,” she commented.
“Tier-one always gets the best gear,” Mata interjected. “I’ve got optics in my rifle most can only dream about.”
“Tier-one, baby!” Harrell shouted. “Always ready! Always deadly! Always there!”
Ruth fought down the desire not to roll her eyes. This is like something out of one of those ludicrous action holomovies. The ones that always get what life is really like in the fleet and on the ground wrong.
Meissner picked up the right arm piece. “If you’d hold out your right arm, LT?”
After Ruth compiled, he fitted the piece in and ensured a tight seal. After repeating the process on her left arm, the suit was in place. “I’d stand up and walk around if were you, LT. Get used to it before we jump out the back.”
“Good advice. Thanks, Meissner,” Ruth said as she stood up, taking a few steps gingerly, shocked at how easy it was to walk in what appeared to be a heavy armor suit, but in reality, had servos and assists in it that automatically adjusted to her walking gait and made her faster and stronger.
